Nollywood actress, director, and producer Funke Akindele was recently celebrated by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) for her remarkable contributions to the Nigerian film industry.
The ceremony, held on Friday, February 27, 2026, at the NFVCB office in Ikoyi, Lagos, saw Akindele receive four prestigious awards in the presence of several industry practitioners.
According to Dr. Shaibu Husseini, Executive Director and CEO of NFVCB, some of the awards had been announced to Akindele as far back as 2020 but were not physically presented due to her busy schedule.
“We had given some awards to Funke during our digital conferences, but she was not around because it was always at a time when she was travelling. She had promised to collect them when she returned, and we wanted to make the presentation memorable,” Dr. Husseini said.
He added that the board believed in celebrating excellence, explaining that even if he were not the Executive Director, he would have arranged a formal presentation to honour her work.
At the event, Akindele was presented with the Box Office Champion Award (2020) for Omo Ghetto. She also received the Audience Choice Award (2024/2025) for Everybody Loves Jenifa, the Box Office Champion Award (2024/2025) for the same film, and the Box Office Champion Award (2025/2026) for Behind The Scenes. The awards were presented by notable industry figures, including Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Chioma Ude, and Mrs. Tola Akerele.
The ceremony was attended by key players in Nollywood, including the GM/CEO of the National Theatre, AVRS chairman Mahmood Ali-Balogun, AGN Vice President Dayo Amusa, President of the Association of Movie Producers Dr Blessing Ebigeson, AFRIFF Founder Chioma Ude, CEAN representative Patrick Lee, and DGN Vice President Grace Edwin Okon.
Dr. Husseini praised Akindele for elevating the visibility of Nollywood, noting, “We are here to celebrate a talent who has made this industry visible to the world and shown that it is possible to succeed and make money in Nollywood.”
The event highlighted not only Akindele’s consistent box office success but also her enduring influence on Nigerian cinema, reinforcing her status as one of Nollywood’s leading figures.
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